when snowflakes fall like tears
by swirlofcolor
Summary: Scorpius wonders why he never noticed her, her hair, her eyes, her smile, and why she sat all alone at the Slytherin table. Rose wonders why the Gryffindor Golden Boy would want her - when he could have her family instead. :a story of love and constants:
1. scorpius

**when snowflakes fall like tears;**

_because sometimes_

_just sometimes,_

_it's written in the stars._

-x-

The first time you notice her, really _really_ notice her, she's sitting on the balcony of the Astronomy tower, her back leaning against a pillar and her feet dangling off the edge, wearing her pajamas and wrapped in an oversized sweater.

And she looks so ethereally pretty with her _brownredgolden_ hair blowing in the wind and her _caramelchocolate_ eyes alight and dancing and her _luminescentivory _skin shining in the moonlight that your heart makes a sudden lurch and you wonder why you didn't notice her before, how you couldn't have noticed her before. You take unconscious steps out of the doorway, your body moving of its own accord, your eyes glued onto her back.

As you peel out of the darkness of the doorway and onto the balcony, she calls out a soft,

"What are you doing here?"

And you decide her voice sounds like thousands of birds singing all at once. And you don't reply, really, because you're speechless and enamored and _Scorpius Fucking Malfoy, _Gryffindor Golden Boy, and you're starring at _Rose Fucking Weasley,_ Slytherin cousin of the Potter Trio, and somehow words can't really convey anything right now.

So you turn on your heel and run.

-x-  
><em>and i remember when you lost your head<br>sometimes I wonder how you stay so sad  
>when you're so beautiful<br>-x- _

The next day you find yourself starring at her like you've never seen her before (and you haven't, not really, not ever).

You've never noticed the little things she does, like the way she hums softly when replanting plants.

The way she tucks her hair behind her ear in a nervous manner as she leans over her Potions Cauldron.

The way she raises her hand in a nonchalant fashion, answering questions with perfect clarity and precision, her voice ringing out over the classroom.

The way she brushes her quill against her cheek when she's thinking really hard, trying to find the answer to the Homework question.

The way she daintily cuts through her meal, and sips on her Pumpkin juice without a care in the world.

But, most notably, you've never noticed the way she sits alone at the very end of the Slytherin table, a good two or three meters from the group of first years that shoot her wary glances once in a while.

Lilly hits your arm and drags your attention back to your table, and she shoots you an annoyed look as she asks, her voice shrilly, if you've been listening _at all_ to what she had to say about Lysander's new hair cut.

-x-  
><em>white lips, pale face<br>breathing in snowflakes  
>burnt lungs, sour taste <em>

-x-

You don't know how, or why, but somehow you find yourself back at the Astronomy tower come midnight.

"I didn't think you'd come back," she says, and she's lying down on the cool rock of the tower, a foot draped over the edge, her arms cradling her head, and you can't help but feel as though you're seeing an angel for the very first time, she's so _beautiful_.

You open your mouth to reply, but the air gets stuck in the back of your throat and you freeze, your thoughts incoherent as you stare.

"Wasn't very courageous of you, either, running away like you did last night," she continues, her eyes closed, immune to your predicament. "_Bloody Gryffindors._"

"I wasn't running away," you finally sputter, and your voice carries an indignant tone as you narrow your eyes.

She merely laughs. "Whatever you say. Lie down, why don't you? The stars are particularly bright tonight."

And so begins your friendship.

-x-  
><em>we are young and we have years ahead, maybe<br>we might fall in love, or fall apart, fall apart  
>before it ends, well we should try to start<br>_-x-

It's the first Friday in December when things start to get a little muddled and the lines blur.

It's the first night in two months where you aren't stealing away to the Astronomy tower, and it is all, completely, and utterly, Lily's fault.

"Come _on,_ Scorpius. It's not _just_ a party. It's The Party of the year! All the Gryffindors are going to be there, and you can't _not_ show up unless you want to sign your public image's death wish. You're coming, you have to."

James and Albus nod, and Albus claps you on the back, his voice booming over the common room:

"Come on, Scorp, it'll be fun! We'll dance, we'll get sloshed, we'll meet some pretty girls...Who knows, you might even score a couple bases!"

And so you get pulled in with Lily's shrill demands and Albus' promise of a fun time, but you can't help but try to meet those caramel eyes at the Slytherin table that night at dinner.

You fail.

-x-  
><em>and in the morning I'll be with you,<br>but it will be a different kind  
>cuz i'll be holding all the tickets, and you'll be owning all the fines<br>_-x-

You don't exactly remember when, or how, but you're vision is blurred and there are noises everywhere and you are drunk off your feet. You're surrounded by bodies and heat and music and you don't, you can't, remember the names of any of the people you've danced with, or kissed.

You stagger through the party, your lips swollen from impromptu snog sessions, and somehow Lily's arm finds you and you're dancing together, hips grinding with hips, arms encircling your waist, lips crashing on lips.

She whispers in your ear, and in some way you can't quite recall, you find yourself in a broom closet, clothes flying, hands frantically grasping, a tangle of limbs.

Yet as she cries out your name, you can't help but imagine a softer voice, and as your hands wind themselves in your hair, you can't help but feel soft curls instead of the thin, straight strands, and as you look at her face as it twits in pure ecstasy, you can't help but picture chocolate eyes instead of green ones.

It's this vision that brings you to release.

-x-  
><em>can't start a fire, can't start a fire<br>without a spark  
>this gun's for hire, even if we're just dancing in the dark<br>_-x-

You wake up in the morning with a pounding headache, but surprisingly, you can remember the details of last night (well, the important ones). But the most vivid image is the one with Rose - and you know it's not real, it can't be real, but you can't help these emotions that are running through your mind and the beating of your heart.

You close your eyes and picture Rose - her hair, her eyes, her body, her smile - and you groan softly as you realize that maybe, just maybe, you might be falling in love with Rose Weasley and that this might not be such a bad thing.

Reality comes crashing down when you hear Lily's voice in your ear as she wakes up.

-x-  
><em>and how my love, it spins me 'round<br>and how my love, it's let me down.  
>-<em>x-

You studiously avoid Lily for the following month.

James has stopped speaking to you (no doubt encouraged by his persuasive little sister), and Albus shoots him looks of concern when he thinks Scorpius isn't looking. He pesters him with questions, his voice full of naive concern:

"Mate, what has gotten _into_ you? Since, like October, you've been acting differently, but I was sure it was just the jitters of seventh year or something - but _now - _my God, Scorp, you're acting like a anti-social freak! You're not going to any parties, you barely speak to me and Lily and James and you stare off into space with a look that screamsindifference! And now, when we finally get you to go to a party, you go and act all weird and shit and now James and Lily won't speak with you and I don't even know why I bother, sometimes!"

You tune him out to, and eventually Albus falls back behind Lily and James and they resort to steely looks and an occasional sneer in your direction. Soon enough the entire table refuses to sit with you.

You can't bring yourself to care.

-x-  
><em>so maybe you're lovable<br>and maybe you're my snowflake  
>and when your eyes turn from green to grey in the winter<br>I will hold you in a cold place  
>-<em>x-

"Rose," you venture one night, your question floating in the cool december night. She nods, her eyes closed, her hands wrapped around her knees as she breathes out small clouds of warmth.

"Why don't speak with your cousins?"

Her eyes flutter open, and for a rare moment you can see confusion and shock and _emotion_ fly across her face before she composes herself.

"I'm a Slytherin, Scorpius," she replies, as if it was the most rational explanation in the world.

You flinch when you hear the bitterness in her voice.

"But that shouldn't matter...You're family." You scoot closer to her, shifting your weight so you're facing her.

She shrugs, hugging her knees closer to her body.

"Rose," you say, and your voice is soft and warm as you tilt her face up to the light, and force her to look into your eyes. "Rose. That doesn't make any sense."

She blinks, and you can almost see the tears forming in her eyes.

"My family holds a grudge against Slytherins. They've always hated them, and as far as they know, Slytherins have always hated the Weasleys. I'm the first Weasley _ever_ to have been sorted into any other house than Gryffindor. And on top of that, it was Slytherin. My uncle Harry didn't mind, but the rest of my family did. Especially my aunt Ginny and my dad. Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny had a huge fight over it, and since then the cousins have avoided me like the plague. They blame me for their parents' divorce, even though that was years later and had absolutely nothing to do with me. My mum and dad avoid the topic all together. Seem to think that if they don't talk about it, it doesn't exist."

You breathe in, the air getting stuck in your lungs. How could they possibly not see how positively _good_ and _kind _and _perfect_ Rose was?

"What about Hugo? What about your brother?"

She shrugs.

"He doesn't talk to me and I don't talk to him. 'Least, not at school. At home, we do, for mum and dad's sake. But he pretty much pretends I don't exist. It's just...fustrating, how such a stupid thing can make me seem unimportant and worthless in the eyes of my family."

Her tears spill out for real this time, cascading down her cheeks, and you pull her in flush against your body. You can't really think of anything to say, but you softly caress the back of her back, your fingers dancing against her sweater as you comfort her.

You can't say how long you've sat here, but you do notice that Rose's tears have stopped and that snowflakes have begun to fall.

You don't let her go.

-x-  
><em>Nobody said this was easy<br>It's such a shame for us to part  
>No one said it would be this hard<br>_-x-

"There it is," you point, your finger lingering on a constellations of stars above. "Scorpius."

Rose sighs contentedly as she rests her head against your chest. Her fingers are twined in yours and the position is almost so intimate, you close your eyes and pretend (just for a second) that she loves you and you love her and things are simple and easy.

"I've always wanted to be named after the stars," she says after a while, her voice barely a whisper. "They're constant, even when everything else is changing. Roses - they flower for a short period of time, then they wilt and die. Stars are constant."

"Until they explode, that is," you answer cheekily, chuckling as she swats you on the elbow. "Hey, Rose?"

"Mmhh," she answers, her eyes still glued on the sparkling lights above her. The moonlight is gleaming in her eyes, her hair, and she looks so ethereal you have to catch your breath. You wonder, idly, when you'll get over her beauty, but find that you're quite content in basking in it for the remainder of your life. If she'll let you, of course.

"Are you going home for Christmas?"

"Never."

"Good. I'm staying too."

-x-  
><em>she doesn't own a dress<br>her hair is always a mess  
>you can catch her stealing, she won't confess,<br>I think she's beautiful  
>-x-<em>

**have you ever had a butterbeer/butterbeer latte?**

**(also: any good Scorpius fics with angst? I'm in the mood and I can't find any right now...)**

**part 1/2**


	2. rose

**when snowflakes fall like tears;**

_because sometimes_

_just sometimes,_

_it's written in the stars._

-x-

"My grandmother used to say that snowflakes used to be representations of dead souls who were allowed to come back to Earth only in the winter to visit."

Scorpius' voice is warm against your cheek, and you push yourself further into his body as the cold night air bites your skin. His arm is around his head, and you lay your neck on the crock of his. You sneak a glance at his face and find his eyes glued on the glittering stars above you.

"On the first snowfall she'd stand outside without a jacket and open her mouth and catch snowflakes. Said they tasted like grandfather's kisses."

You lean back further into the crock of his neck and stare out into the night sky. "That's a sad thought," you say, your fingers slipping through the snow on the balcony.

"At least she had something," Scorpius replies, and your hand subconsciously reaches for his in the darkness.

"At least she had something," you echo, and squeeze his hand slightly, as if to say _At least we have each other_. Because you can't quite bring yourself to say those words out loud just yet, you're too afraid, too uncertain of what you want and why you want it with _Scorpius._

He squeezes back and you know he understands.

-x-  
><em>and no one, no one's<br>ever gonna love you more than I do  
>more than I do<br>-x-_

It's Christmas Eve and the flurries are falling everywhere and he's _late._

He's never late.

He always comes at 10:30 and he is always here, even when he's sick or drowning in homework. He always comes.

(Except for that one time, that one time where he chose Lily and Albus and James and his friends over you)

You blink back tears and curse yourself for your stupidity. It's _Christmas Eve._ Surely he has more important things to do than sit on the top of the Astronomy tower in the middle of a freaking blizzard with the Slytherin Freak cousin of his best friends. Surely he would be out celebrating with some of his Gryffindor friends who remained behind for the holidays (Lily&co went back home, of course, as they do every year).

You slam your head back into the stone, cursing your stupidity. Why did you have to become so attached to him, to his company, to his god-forsaken voi -

Suddenly the sound of his feet racing up the astronomy tower reaches your ear and your face lights up with a smile when he appears at the doorway and wishes you a _Merry Christmas _with a lopsided grin.

"Don't open this 'till Christmas morning with your other presents," he tells you and makes you promise.

You don't bother telling him it's the only gift apart from chocolates you're receiving this year.

-x-  
><em>see I had these walls<br>built up so strong  
>built when i was young<br>in wars I've won  
>-x-<em>

It's two a.m. in the morning and you open the wrapping with shaky hands. It's rather small, but he's wrapped it so delicately with tissue paper and a small bow you don't want to ruin it.

You slowly peel off the paper and find a small box covered in rough leather. As you open it, a soft tune starts playing, and you realize it's a music box. What's more, he's enchanted it to project a miniature replica of the stars onto the ceiling (if tilted at the right angle). Inside, you find a small silver chain with a star charm hanging off of it.

You spend the rest of the night working on improving the gift you got him because, let's face it, it's rather bland compared to your gift.

When you finally close your eyes and lie back on the bed, you fall asleep with stars in your eyes and music in your ears and a foreign feeling in your heart.

-x-  
><em>she told me 'bout the winds from Santa Anna<br>and that's the way I like it  
>she told me she loved me, like fireworks<br>and that's the way I like it, that's the way I like it  
><em>-x-

You fiddle with the charm on your necklace as you hand him your gift, wrapped in soft red paper. He smiles at you and proceeds to tear of the paper with such eagerness you can't help but to giggle at him. He pulls out a soft leather notebook and gasps.

It's a dark, chocolate brown (that matches your eyes, though you wouldn't confess it) with silver-lined pages (that, of course, match his eyes) and a silver, engraved scorpion on the spine. He stares at it for an eternity and you clear your throat awkwardly.

"It's charmed - I mean, I charmed it to never run out of paper. You can keep writing and writing in it and it won't get any bigger until you open it. I just - I see you write a lot in class and I know that they aren't notes because you're not listening, so I figured I'd get you something were you could write in that would last."

He stares at it some more before lifting his eyes back up to yours. You get stuck in them, endless swirls of _greygreygrey_ and _blueblueblue_and it's a while before he replies with a soft,

"Thank you. I love it."

-x-

_look at the stars  
>look how they shine fore you<br>and everything that you do  
><em>-x-

It's the last night before the end of the Christmas break and you know Scorpius wants to ask you something.

You're leaning against him on the balcony of the Astronomy tower, and you can tell that his normally serene hands are restless and his eyes keep darting away from the stars and to the entrance. He runs his hands through his hair and then sighs.

"Scorpius," you say, your voice barely a whisper, "if you have something to ask, ask it."

He frowns, and mutters a soft,

"How could you tell?"

You laugh and lower your head to his shoulder. "You fiddle around when you're nervous, and you run your hand through your hair when you're thinking about something really hard. I put two and two together."

He nods, then frowns.

"It's just...It's the last day of the Christmas break, and tomorrow things will go back to normal..."

"So?" you ask, and suddenly the air around you feels warm with tension. You sit up, and turn to face him, clutching the side of the stone railing like a lifeline.

"What if..." he trails off, his eyes linger on yours for what seems like an eternity. "What if I don't want want it to go back to normal?"

And there are the words you've been meaning to hear and dreading at the same time and you take one look at his face before jumping out of his arms and running down the stairs of the astronomy tower to your common room, tears streaming down your face.

It takes you ten minutes to realize you've ruined _everything_.

-x-  
><em>if there's no one beside you<br>when your soul embarks  
>then I'll follow you into the dark<br>_-x-

You go back the next night even though you know he won't come.

You know you've ruined everything because you're scared, so scared, of commitment and love and belonging because you've never really felt these things before and now you're overwhelmed, drowning and out of breath and it's consuming you.

Yet you let yourself hope because it's the only thing you have left, really, and you sit through in silence as your heart breaks (for the last time, because there isn't really anything left to break anymore).

You come back again every night, just to be able to hope, just to feel the heartbreak, just to be _able to feel._

-x-  
><em>and i know you can't stay<br>but I wish you would  
>yeah I wish you would<br>i wish you would  
><em>-x-

You stare from your secluded corner of the table, barely touching your food. He seems so happy and carefree as he laughs with them and you wonder why you ever bothered to believe that he would have chosen you over your family (even if he _sortofkindofmighthave _told you that he wanted to).

You see him use the chocolate brown notebook in class and you smile, even though it pains you. His handwriting is neat and swoops over the pages in an elegant script as he writes and writes and never stops - and you hope he never stops, because if he does, he'll see you starring and he'll know.

And every night you sit out on the Astronomy tower and open the music box in your hands and just listen to the sound of _once upon a time._ You don't let it play out entirely because you don't want to get to the _happily ever after._

**so i know i said 2-shot...but i'm thinking of continuing? I don't like where it ended. I want to do another two chapters. So yeah. Not done yet. :)**


	3. rose&scorpius

**This chapter alternates - Rose, then Scorpius, per paragraph (seperated by -x-)**

* * *

><p>It's the night of the Senior Years' Ball (open to fifth years and up) and you're sitting on your bed with a pristine grey and silver gown and pearly white dancing shoes, with your hair all done up in a half-braid half-bun and a small silver necklace with a charm hanging off your neck.<p>

You don't think you've ever worn something this glamorous or expensive and you're convinced you look like a downright fool in a princess costume, like a little girl who twirled her wand and muttered _abra kedabra!_ with the conviction that it would turn her into royalty.

Not that it matters, really, because you don't have a date to impress.

(That doesn't mean that you don't have a plan. You are, after all, Slytherin for a reason).

-x-  
><em>lights will guide you home<br>and ignite your bones  
>and I will try to fix you<br>_-x-

You're standing at the entrance of the Gryffindor common room with Albus, who looks dashing (not that you would admit it, of course, since you're a _guy_) in his black dress robes with his hair gelled back. He offered to do yours, but you rather like leaving your hair brushed to the side like you usually have it (Plus, with hair gel, you look like the spitting image of your father twenty five years ago and, let's face it, that's not something you want).

Lily's on your right arm, her hair pulled into a chic chignon, her dress a bright blue with lace and beading and ribbons and the exuberance that screams _LILY. _For a second her eyes become golden and her hair darkens and she grows taller and you can almost smell someone else, but it disappears when she opens her pink lips to indignantly cry out,

"Where _is_ Dom? She was supposed to be here _ages_ ago, and we're going to be late!"

And just like that, the vision's gone, and the feeling of absolute bliss is replaced by bored indifference and you wish you could somehow remember how to _feel._

_-x-  
>you are like a hurricane<br>there's calm in your eyes  
>and I'm getting blown away<br>-x- _

Not that you'd ever, ever admit it, but it's been an hour since the ball's started and you're absolutely, utterly, and completely terrified.

You're standing at the top of the stairs that lead into the Great Hall, fiddling nervously with the edge of your dress as you walk down the stairs alone. You're the first person to do that, _ever. _Even the girls and guys who don't have dates walk down the stairs with their friends. No one walks down alone, that's an unspoken rule, and in typical Rose fashion you've broken it and _everyone notices._

You reach the middle of the staircase without any difficulty, but then you start to feel the eyes of your classmates on you as your heels echo against the marble and it suddenly feels like the room might collapse any moment. Yet you force yourself to keep your head held high and steady your trembling hand on the banister, not stopping to look or to catch your breath (after all, you're here for one reason, and that one reason is _not _going to see you make a fool of yourself walking down the staircase).

As you get closer to the bottom you can hear the whispers floating up from the crowd.

"Who's _she?_"

"Why's she walking down all alone?"

"How can she not have a date? She's _gorgeous._"

You've reached the bottom of the stairs now and your eyes search the crowd, weaving through bright dresses and black dress robes until they meet a pair of silver-grey eyes.

You almost don't notice how sleek the dress robes he's wearing look on him, or the way his hair seems almost luminescent in the dim lights of the dance floor.

You almost don't notice when he smiles, and you almost don't notice when it's not aimed at you.

You almost don't notice the girl he has in his arms. You almost don't notice her flaming hair.

You almost don't notice. Almost, because you can't help but see _him_ and remember how to breathe again.

-x-  
><em>baby's black balloon makes her fly<br>I almost fell into that hole in your life  
>you're not thinking 'bout tomorrow,<br>cuz you are the same as me  
>-x-<em>

The song they're playing at the music booth is an old Muggle one that is apparently _all the rage_ with the Muggleborn and Half-blood girls who echo cries of, "Omyghod, it's _our song!_" all along the dance floor, dragging friends and dates out of the dark corners or away from the refreshment table.

Lily apparently knows this song as well, as she drops off Lysander's arm and clutches yours, muttering a quipped _Come on, Scorp!_ and suddenly you're on the dance floor with her, swaying away to something about a girl called Lucy and some sky with diamonds in it, which to you sounds like a right load of balloni.

Lily rests her head on your shoulder and you look upwards to the ceiling (which is cloudy, so cloudy, you can't even see the moon).

And for what has to be the eighteenth time that evening, you imagine a taller girl, with a more slender frame and softer, curlier brown hair and a voice that can melt you on the spot in your arms, and suddenly she's everywhere.

She's wearing a pink dress and dancing with Boot off on your right, she's off beside the fruit punch wearing a bright purple ball gown, she's whispering into Fate's ear off on the left, she's dancing with the Slytherin prefect close to the music booth, she's walking down the steps of the Great Hall Staircase wearing a silver gown and looking stunning, and she's in your arms.

As you smile down at her, the enchantment fades and you're left with lilies and unnamed weeds instead of roses and you feel like crying.

(Except that would be _feeling_, and you don't _feel_ anything, not anymore).

And so you stick with the lilies.

-x-  
><em>cold water surrounds me now<br>and all I've got is your hand  
>Lord, can you hear me now?<br>_-x-

You make your way to a secluded corner behind the refreshment table where a few chairs have been placed haphazardly around to form some sort of semi-circle. You plop down on one of them and reach into a hidden pocket of your dress to find your wand.

You twirl it around your fingers as you recall the spell you'll be needing tonight. You know it's a far stretch that he'll even show up, let alone get your message, but you've got to try because he's what you want and you've never wanted anything this bad before. And so you have a plan, because Slytherins are always cunning and because, let's face it, you don't have that bloody Gryffindor brashness - sorry, courage - all of your million and one relatives seem to possess.

You flip your wand up to the ceiling and concentrate. It's a complicated weave of patterns and spells you're using and if you don't get it just right, it won't work (or the ceiling might fall down and kill everyone).

You start to wave your wand and

"And what might you be doing, Rose?"

-x-  
><em>so there goes my life,<br>__passing by with every exit sign.  
><em>_it's been so long,  
><em>_sometimes I wonder how I will stay strong.  
>-<em>x-

"I wonder where Albus is," Lily mutters when you finally convince her to get off the dance floor claiming that you need to 'grab a seat' before your legs fall off (liar).

You shrug as she excuses herself to go find her brother (James is probably off with Miranda in some broom closet) and you let your eyes wander across the room in search for the girl who should be here with you. You look for a mass of untamable golden curls but you can't find anything.(and you can't help but feel hollow, oh so hollow, when she isn't anywhere on the floor).

You spot Albus, eventually, sitting behind the refreshment table and talking to some girl (probably Melanie, hisflavor _du jour_) who's face is obscured by the chocolate fountain, and sigh. At least Lily won't be back for a while - she won't find Albus, not with him hiding behind the food.

"Hey, Scorp, have a drink, will you?" says Boot as he offers you a glass of punch (spiked, he assures you) and you swallow it in one go, letting the distinct taste of firewhiskey run down your throat.

(and you just wish she was _here_).

-x-  
><em>and if it feels like we might drop<br>it will stop  
>so don't look down<br>it wouldn't be the same without you  
>-<em>x-

He's leaning against the wall, his hands in his pocket and wearing that signature smirk you just hate.

"Albus?" you ask, completely incredulous, because he hasn't spoken to you in years and suddenly he's all smiles and twinkling eyes and he's leaning against a wall in a completely secluded corner of the Great Hall when he could be off dancing with a legion of girls.

"Rose?" he mocks, his eyes dancing across the tip of your wand (which is still pointing to the ceiling) and up to your face.

"Normally I'd guess you were spiking the punch, but since you've never been one for alcohol and it's already been spiked, courtesy of yours truly, that doesn't work."

You stare on dumbly as he continues with his guesses, completely unabashed by your blatant confusion.

"Nor are you one for violent pranks or fits of jealousy, so any sort of revenge plot is also out..." he trails off, starring at you with a calculating expression.

"I'm, uh, fixing my dress," you mutter when you've found your voice. "There's a tear from where some... girl stepped on it."

He fixes you with a glare that screams _I don't believe you! _and you feel yourself getting defensive.

"That's a lie, Rose, and we both know you're not good at lying," he replies sardonically.

-x-  
><em>despite of ourselves,<br>we'll end up sitting on a rainbow  
>against all odds,<br>honey we're the Big Door Prize.  
>-x-<em>

Lily comes back disgruntled, with the usual suspects (Dominique, Lucy, and Lysander) trailing at her heel as she mutters something about Hugo.

"Honestly, he should know better than to try to woo a girl like Evangeline - _she's quarter veela_, after all...And practically family, too! What would Gabrielle say about it?"

They all nod at you as Lily plops down in a chair beside yours.

"Honestly, sometimes I wonder about that boy. I mean, it's probably got to do with his sister. I guess you can't help who you're related too - but that doesn't mean you should try to snog them!"

Lucy and Dom are still nodding, but Lysander interrupts Lily's little rant with a, "well it's not like they're related by _blood,_" at the same time as you utter a, "Shut the fuck up, Lily."

She shoots the both of you looks of horror, and it's as if she can't decide who she should reprimand first.

(but it doesn't matter, 'cuz you've already gotten up and left)

-x-  
><em>you don't ask for no diamond rings<br>no delicate strands of pearls  
>that's why I wrote this song to sing<br>my beautiful girl  
>-x-<em>

"Not that you would know, _Albus._ For all that you're not aware, I've been lying a lot over the course of these past seven years."

That hits a nerve, you can tell, because he flinches ever so slightly as you continue on.

"No, Mum, I don't want to come home for Christmas. No, Dad, I don't mind that the cousins forgot to send a birthday present this year. No, Mum, I'm not feeling well, you guys just go on to the family reunion without me. No, Scorpius, I -"

You stop abruptly and drop into the closet chair, your hands on your head as you take a calming breath.

(and the silence doesn't feel heavy, for once)

-x-  
><em>you don't ask for no diamond rings<br>no delicate strands of pearls  
>that's why I wrote this song to sing<br>my beautiful girl  
><em>-x-

"Scorpius?" Albus asks after a while, dropping in a chair beside yours. "How do you know Scorp?"

"Don't call him that, he hates that name," you snap before realizing what it is you've said. "I mean...I don't."

"Don't what," he asks, and his voice is somewhat gruff as he leans forward.

"Know him," you mutter, but you can't keep the hurt out of your voice. Your eyes lift up to his. He stares at you for a second before lowering his eyes to your neck. Reaching out, he traces the outline of the star charm on your necklace.

"This doesn't look like the kind of present he would give someone who didn't know him," he says after a while.

(how did he know?)

-x-  
><em>you don't ask for no diamond rings<br>no delicate strands of pearls  
>that's why I wrote this song to sing<br>my beautiful girl  
>-x-<em>

Before you know what you're doing, you find yourself walking off in the direction of the music booth. Thomas Jordan is operating the various CDs (some muggle invention, you're told) and records lying around, his neck surrounded by what looks like a pair of metallic earmuffs.

You push through the crowd until you can get close enough to scream in Tom's ear.

"Hey, Tom!"

He nods as he spins another record onto the player.

"I was wondering if you could help me out..."

(and there's gotta be something about that Gryffindor courage, after all, because you're about to do something so incredibly stupid you'll probably never live it down).

-x-  
><em>hello, I love you<br>won't you tell me your name?  
>hell, I love you<br>let me jump in your game?_  
>-x-<p>

"Why are you here?"

It's a valid question, you think, but by the looks on his face he doesn't quite know how to answer it.

"I -" he starts, and his eyes are avoiding yours. "I just saw you walk down the stairs by yourself and I don't know...Merlin, Rose, why did you do that? Nobody walks down the stairs alone, that's practically Hogwarts law. Don't you have any friends or - or dorm mates, or something?"

You stand up and answer him with a flat,

"No, actually. I was in the process or _perhaps _being able to get one back but you interrupted." He sits back and gestures his hands as if to say _Well, by all means, do continue_, and you shoot him a dirty look as you get up and flick your wand.

And you're about to mutter the incantation (in fact you get half the spell out) when the music cuts out and you hear the distinct sound of a "Hey, everyone? If you could all just be quiet for a sec" as you get the other half out -

and suddenly Scorpius - yes, _Scorpius Malfoy -_ is standing on the top of the music booth with a disgruntled Thomas Jordan behind him and about five hundred eyes plastered on him.

And then your spell starts to take effect and it starts snowing.

* * *

><p><strong>cliffie...<strong>

**sorry.**

**also I hope the changing point of views wasn't too chaotic - I usually hate it - but I couldn't help it! As soon as I started writing it just sort of happened and as I read it over it just sort of seemed to work, at least for me :) I also thought it added to the confusion and the chaos of the ball quite well...**

**anywhose. Probably one more chapter to go until the end, although I might be tempted to write something from Lily's perspective, or Albus'.**

**Okay - Question time!**

**so I've gotten some questions, and I've decided that since many are similar I'd answer the three most common one's I got.**

**1) Why does the family not stick with Rose? Aren't the Weasley Family connections stronger than that?  
><em>Well, yes, in most canon fics they are. But how I saw it when I was reading the HP books, a lot of the Weasley's seemed to have prejudices against Slytherin. This might not be true, but it's just what I saw. I felt like Harry and Hermione wouldn't really care, but that Ron, Ginny, and maybe George might because of the strong rivalry between them. Of course - it might not be true, but that's how I saw it. Consequently, when I made Rose a Slytherin, I tried to think about how the family would react. I didn't think they'd go so far as to quick her out or outwardly shun her, but I thought they would probably pretend like she didn't exist. Also, I never really believed in Harry and Ginny's relationship - hence the divorce. Lastly, the children have been brought up with their parents' beliefs and as such are more likely to go along with the entire 'ignoring Rose' thing.<em>**

**2) Why does Scorpius fall in love with Rose? Shouldn't he hate her?  
><em>Well, as mentioned before, the cousins don't necessarily hate Rose - they just ignore her. Therefore I don't think they would be talking about her that much with their other friends. Scorpius wouldn't have a reason to hate Rose. And as for why he fell in love with her...I can't really answer that. It just happened, you know? And then Scorpius realizes his friends aren't all he thought they were and, well...Yeah. <em>**

**3) Why are Lily&co so mean?  
><em>I just kind of portrayed them to react to this situation in this way. I wouldn't necessarily say mean, I would just say that they aren't open to outsiders too much. They've got a massive family and huge influence with their name and, well, they don't really need to like everyone, you know? They're friends with Scorpius because he's a Gryffindor and he's outgoing and they bonded, but I think if he was more reserved they never really would have talked to him. I think they just kind of seek attention and would probably allybefriend a person who was popular for their own benefit. _**


	4. scorpius&rose

**this chapter alternates again - this time Scorpius, then Rose :)**

* * *

><p><strong>when snowflakes fall like tears;<strong>

_because sometimes_

_just sometimes,_

_it's written in the stars._

-x-

It's snowing.

There are white flurries fluttering left, right, and centre, landing on dresses and robes and then vanishing without a trace, floating through the air, and you're standing in front of a little less then half the student body with a micro-_whatthefuckever-_phone and your first thought is to laugh.

The teachers, stunned for a moment with their eyes are glued to the ceiling, are now waving their wands around sporadically, but to no avail. They don't know _who_ conjured the snow (though you have a pretty fair idea) and they don't know _where_ the spell was aimed (the Great Hall's ceiling is, after all, gigantic) and so their cries of "_finite incantatem!_" fall flat.

The couples have stopped dancing and some soft whispering is filtering through the otherwise quite silent crowd.

When you've finally stopped laughing, and the teachers have stopped prancing around with their wands drawn, and the crowd has started to realize that the snow's harmless because it's vanishing before it can leave any trace or moisture, you cough into the device again and start talking.

"See, guys, there's this girl. And she means the entire universe to me."

-x-  
><em>there was something<br>in the air that night  
>the stars were bright<br>-_x-

"Aw, fuck, Rose!" is Albus' first reaction to the snow, followed by a soft "Why isn't it melting?" and then a wonderous "What in _Merlin's Beard _is the fucker doing?" and finally a "It's official, you've both gone mental."

You ignore him, quickly slipping your wand into its hidden holster you've charmed into the dress, andpush past him. You make your way out of the corner of the refreshment table in a sort of daze, your eyes glued on the boy standing on the music booth wearing a stupid grin and pouring his heart out to the entire Hall.

It's still snowing.

"And I've just got to tell her how I feel," - cue the _Aw_ from about the entire 5th and 6th year females - "because I don't think I'll ever really feel about someone the way I feel about her."

It's still snowing.

You're still moving, your eyes still fixed on his figure. His eyes are jumping across the room, looking for something, _someone_, and you keep pushing through the crowd as he continues.

It's still snowing.

"She said I was her constant, like a star, but I think she's wrong, 'cuz there's nothing good about being constantly in the dark, and really, she's the light, she's the one that shines. And I love her."

And it's still snowing.

And a tear falls down your cheek.

-x-  
><em>hey oh,<br>listen what I say, oh  
>I got your hey oh<br>now listen what I say, oh.  
><em>-x-

You finally catch her eyes.

They're all brown and chocolate and caramel and you get lost in them - so freaking lost - and she smiles softly at you and you can see a few tears run down her cheek. Her hair is done up and she's wearing a silver gown and she's so _beautiful _it takes your breath away and leaves you starring like a mute idiot in front of the entire school.

So you do the only thing that comes to mind.

You drop the stupid micro-whatever-device on Tom's head.

And it's still snowing.

And her tears are still falling.

-x-  
><em>so we'll take it to the beach<br>and walk along the sand  
>and I'll carve you a heart pendant<br>with a pebble held in my hand  
><em>-x-

The music's has been turned back on by a disgruntled Tom, but no one's really dancing, they're all just starring at Scorpius (and at you) as he approaches, eyes glued on yours.

He stretches out his hand and you break out into a grin as you lace your fingers through his.

And it's still snowing.

And tears are still falling.

And, Merlin, it's _beautiful._

_-_x-  
><em>and now you tell me that you're on the mend<br>sometimes I wonder how you don't go mad  
>when you're so beautiful, so beautiful<br>_-x-

The next day you wake up on the top of the Astronomy Tower with a sore back and your arm beneath her body. Her dress is floating slightly in the wind and her hair is falling out of her up-do and her cheeks are slightly rosy and you can feel her heart beating under her chest.

And you're so damn happy you forget how to breath, for an instant, and it isn't until her hand weaves itself into yours and you feel like your chest might explode that you remember.

She stretches her neck slightly so her lips are on your ear and she whispers,

"You're a star, you're constant, not because you're surrounded by darkness, but because you shine through it."

And then she snares your lips and you forgot _everything_ and concentrate on how you _feel._

So unbelievably happy.

-x-  
><em>Now three months equals eternity<br>and this will be so hard  
>And I will long to hold you in my arms<br>_-x-

* * *

><p><strong>so this is where I thought I'd end this chapter.<strong>

**felt 'bout right.**

**I'm feeling like I might want to add two more chapters in Albus' and Lily's point of views. Probably Albus will be the end of the year/returning to the family.**

**So yeah.**

**Excited :)**


End file.
